Wednesday, December 7, 2016

How California can save $550 million a year

Sent to the Ventura County Star, Dec 7, 2016Hat-tip: Mary MayhewThe California High School Exit Exam (CAHEE), suspended for two years, will be re-instated in 2018. Columnist Tom Elias ("Don't dump high school exit exam," Dec. 4) wants it back. Superintendent Tom Torlakson does not. The research clearly supports Superintendent Torlakson.A thorough review of research on the impact of high school exist exams done by researchers at the University of Texas in 2010 concluded that state exit exams do not provide short-benefits, such as increased learning, or long-term benefits, such as increased college attendance or higher employment. An earlier review done by the Center on Educational Policy in Washington DC found "no evidence that exit exams increase student learning," as measured by standardized tests/ In 2011, analyst Jo Ann Rupert Behm wrote that "…Californians easily shell-out over $550 million a year to administer, defend, tutor, and teach to the CAHSEE beginning in 7 th grade."I am sure we can find better ways of spending this money. Stephen KrashenProfessor Emeritus, University of Southern California